Contending that the corporation's decision to hike the rent was "illegal" as the assessment had not been done by the Public Works Department, Alagiri prayed before the court to quash the order increasing the rent.

Former Union minister M K Alagiri and 11 others have moved the Madras High Court, challenging a recent revision of rent by the city corporation for shops they had taken on lease at the main bus stand at Madurai. When the petitions came up for hearing on Wednesday, Justice V Bharathidasan ordered issue of notice to the corporation and asked it to response by February 21. Contending that the corporation’s decision to hike the rent was “illegal” as the assessment had not been done by the Public Works Department, Alagiri prayed before the court to quash the order increasing the rent.

Alagiri, the Madurai-based son of DMK president M Karunanidhi, submitted that he had taken three shops on lease and was paying a rent of Rs 9,969 each for two shops and Rs 10,565 for the third. Now, the rent has been increased to Rs 13,358 each for all the three shops.

The counsel for other petitioners submitted that the corporation could have consulted the shopkeepers before increasing the rent. The corporation said the rent had been hiked according to the present assessment of the property.